A Weis Harman Initiation
by one.twilight.sun
Summary: I've met my soulmate.  My other half.  He completes me.  Oh, wait.  Did I mention that he was invisible?
1. 1 The Beginning of the End

**Summary: **Nora's existence up to her senior year in high school has been pretty uneventful and unremarkable. That is, until she met Toby Weiss-Harman. There's something about him that catches her attention from the start (crashing into someone can do that) and, surprisingly enough, there's something about _her_ that's caught his eye. But there's that whole Night World rule where humans aren't supposed to know about the Night World and Night World people are _not_ supposed to fall in love with humans.

But there's an unknown Weis-Harman rite of initiation that is about to become very known to Toby, and Nora will be the only one able to help him through it. So how is he going to be able to uphold the Night World laws then? Well, he can't.

So he's going to break them.

**Chapter 1 – The Beginning of the End of Nora's Quiet Life**

Nora didn't know it, but today was the end of her quiet, unexciting and untroublesome world. See, Nora had been planning on finishing her last year at high school the way she had been finishing the previous 12 years of school: with straight A's, no marks against her and nothing really remarkably accomplished. Sure, she yearned to do more than that, like be in a school play or have one night of wild partying, but for some reason, she never got around to it.

Nora was not a girl one could call popular or overachieving or a wild child. Nora didn't want to be that. She liked getting her homework done on time and done properly. She liked having enough time at home to sit and read a book or hang out with her mom. The life she lead was orderly. Yes one could call it dull, but Nora liked it.

Suddenly, Nora was ripped out of her reverie by a harsh impact with a fast-moving object. She fell to the ground, feeling a sharp pain rocket up her leg; her books spilled across the sidewalk, the contents of her notebook flying out.

Nora lay still—partly because of shock and partly because of the heavy body that weighed her down. After a few moments, her brain restarted and she pushed at the person on top of her. The body slowly straightened up, revealing a pair of bright eyes, the color indeterminable because of the bright sun shining directly into Nora's eyes.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I haven't crashed like that in a long time." Nora's eyes widened as she realized that the person on top of her was a guy, and, from what Nora could see of him, a good-looking guy. Still laying on the ground, she somehow managed to squeak out, "That's fine".

Perhaps because her voice was a bit small, the boy seemed to realize that he was on top of her. He turned slightly red and pushed himself off the ground and off of Nora, getting to his feet. He reached down to help her up, apologized again and busied himself with picking up the scattered books and papers and placing his skateboard back on its wheels. She busied herself with dusting off. Once she sensed that most of the awkward moment had passed, she looked up to grab her books that the skater boy was still holding. Nora was slightly startled as she found that she was looking into a pair of violet eyes, and took the books out of his hand a little clumsily.

He flashed her a smile with teeth so blindingly white she almost squinted. "I know I've said this a couple of times, but I'm sorry," and so saying, he pushed off on his board and rode into the sunset (which was actually occurring in the particular direction he was going).

Nora tucked a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear and smiled slightly, amused at the romantic turn her mind was taking when nothing really had actually occurred.

* * *

She got to school without further incident, and took her seat at her first class of the year. A quick glance around the room showed her some familiar faces from the previous year and some new ones. The teacher, Mr. Thornby, was sitting at his desk, logging in the names of the students there for roll call. She took a seat close to the back and waited for class to start.

Busying herself with writing her name and the class title at the top of the first page of her notebook, she didn't notice that she had a neighbor until said neighbor shoved a hand across the notebook she was writing on. Nora looked up and was confronted with the most extraordinary amount of jewelry she had ever seen to decorate a human being (aside from the Africans from Ripley's Believe It or Not). The girl connected to all the metal was dark-skinned, petite and wild-haired. She had two piercings on her nose, earrings all along the edge of one ear and three in the other, two on each eyebrow and one on her tongue, which stuck itself out for Nora's inspection at which point Nora realized she was staring and shifted her eyes nervously back to her notebook and the hand that covered it.

"Hi! I'm Zen. Saw you got smashed earlier by Toby. I've never seen him do that before but I guess you did look a bit out of it so probably didn't see him yourself. Don't think I've ever met you. Are you new?"

Nora was back to staring again. She had never actually experienced such an explosion of words directed at her from anyone before. Normally she got a polite smile or greeting with eyes that never really met hers. This girl, Zen, was looking straight into her eyes, pouring words out of her mouth almost as if she felt that if she didn't say it all now, she would never be able to. Nora slowly moved her hand and put it in Zen's, giving it a small shake. Satisfied, Zen sat back in her seat.

"No, I'm not new. I've been here since freshman."

Zen's eyebrows lifted. "I could've sworn I knew everyone here."

Nora gave a bird-like shrug of her shoulders. "I'm not that noticeable." This was said matter-of-factly, Nora having accepted her lot in life.

Zen made a non-committal sound, waving her hand in the air as if to brush that comment aside. "You're new." That was that for Zen apparently.

"Okay." Nora did not know how to respond.

"Listen, there's a quote-unquote 'back-to-school celebration' happening at Melissa D's house (as opposed to Melissa K) on Friday. Since you don't really know anyone, you should come with me. I'll get you in and introduce you to everyone. Don't want you starting off the last year of high school without becoming legit with everyone else, you know?" Nora shrugged again, not wanting to contradict Zen but also not wanting to confirm she was new to the school. This satisfied Zen who gave Nora a pleased smile. "You have History next right?"

Nora nodded.

"Good. Me, too. I'll give you the needed info on what you need to do to survive Sherville High."

The teacher called attention and started taking roll. Nora stared ahead thinking it might not hurt to stick with Zen the human tornado. She'd at least give some zest to her quiet, unexciting life.

_Author's Note: This is me indulging in some teenage fluffle. Oh, and by the way, when you read this, (voice deepens into a mesmerizing tone) you will feel compelled to leave a review…_


	2. 2  Who's The New Girl?

**Chapter 2 – Who's the new girl?**

The rest of the morning was a blur for Nora with Zen at her side constantly. She found herself in the position of being introduced to people she had shared school hallways with for the past 3 years, people she had met at one point or another. Some remembered her, most did not so Nora could see how Zen thought she was new.

"God! Are you kidding me? Who serves _MEATLOAF _on the first day of school? Way to get the kids excited on being back." Zen plopped some unidentifiable meat on her plate before shoving some onto Nora's. "Apparently the whole organic phase ain't hitting Sherville," Zen commented as she shouldered their way to a table in a corner nearest the outside exit in the cafeteria. Nora trailed behind, a little hesitant to be sitting at a table she saw had that guy who she had had the run in with this morning. Toby, she recalled. He was laughing at something a black guy with dreadlocks was telling him from across the table.

She took a moment to stare at him while Zen's attention was on the table and no one else there had noticed her presence. Toby's hair was a bright cloud around his head, almost halo-like in its messiness and golden highlights in his light brown hair. He seemed to have some sort of something, a spark that Nora didn't see in many people.

He turned his head, seeming to sense that he was the subject of someone's inspection. Nora averted her eyes quickly but not before their eyes met, violet with brown, and she felt a little catch in her chest and her pulse pounded in her ears.

"So, this is Nora. She's new and I've adopted her. She's gonna sit at this table so if you got a problem, I don't care." Zen waved Nora over to the opposite side of the table from Sun God and rolled right into the introductions. Nora's eyes slid over the rest of the people of the table a small polite smile on her face. There was the guy with the dreadlocks ("J.R."), a larger girl with pink and black hair ("Suzie") and another boy who looked like a thirteen-year-old skinhead ("Ed—and no he's not in the wrong grade, he _is_ actually 17"). Each gave Nora a little wave or nod of acknowledgement and she sat in the only chair left after Zen sat.

There was a small pause and then: "Hey Zen, you got it wrong there. Nora's not new. She's been around since, I think, Freshman. Right?" Nora looked at Toby, taken aback that he, of all people, seemed to have noticed her at all in her quiet passage through the school's sacred hallways. He gave her a crooked smile and Nora felt her cheeks slowly flush. She broke eye contact with him, hoping that the age-old adage of "If I can't see you then you can't see me" would actually work in this instance.

"Girl! You could've told me!" Zen exclaimed good-naturedly, hitting Nora on her shoulder.

Nora smiled at Zen, partly out of gratefulness for distracting Toby from Nora's blush and partly because Zen's enthusiasm was hard not to pick up. "I tried about 4 hours ago but you basically run over people."

The others at the table cracked up. "You have to admit Zen. You're like a 300-mile-an-hour train heading in one direction!" J.R. said as he tugged on a lock of Zen's hair. She grinned and did something to him under the table that caused him to yelp and scoot away from her on the bench. Nora laughed, feeling strangely at ease when normally she was quite reserved.

* * *

Toby watched her from across the table while pretending to listen to J.R.'s latest theory of meatloaf evolution. Her hair was dark chocolate in color, she had a small nose and pink rosy lips with a full lower lip that her little teeth kept catching on and distracting Toby. Her eyes were brown and large; she seemed to always be watching her environment, and not in a paranoid, who's-got-me-in-their-sights kind of way, but as if she didn't want to miss out on any part of what was going around her. Though strangely enough, it wasn't as if she was participating in it, she was just there. Seeing everything around her.

Toby could see that she was a bit shy and he understood why he hadn't really noticed her until he ran her over this morning. For some reason, he had a feeling about her. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad feeling but he did know that after that one moment of _something_ just before she sat at the table, she hadn't looked at him once and he hadn't stopped looking at her.

* * *

Nora passed the remainder of her day in a sort of happy buzz. She hadn't actually had a close friend before and Zen was really on her way to earning #1 position. Zen hadn't stopped talking to her and giving her bits and pieces of knowledge to use in navigating her way through Sherville High.

"Oh my god, she is the _last_ person you want to be seen talking to," this was in the direction of a black-haired, heavily make-uped and honestly slutty-dressed girl standing on the front steps of the building as Zen and Nora were making their way out to the street after school. "This past summer, she cheated on her boyfriend by sleeping with _his_ best friend who was dating _her _best friend! I shudder to think of where that karma is going to get her in her next life. Probably a fat slug in the middle of some Indian prayer temple."

Nora laughed. She'd laughed more in the past day than she had in _weeks_. "Zen, you're great. I have to get going," she said, patting Zen on the arm as Zen spotted someone she wanted to talk to quickly before heading home. Zen gave her a blazing smile and an impulsive hug, reminding Nora of the party in two days as Nora made her way down the steps.

Nora looked back to say "I won't forget!" and turned back around just in time to catch herself before she bumped into the tall person standing directly in front of her on the sidewalk—Toby. Of course.

She looked up to meet bright mischievous-looking eyes and that crooked, look-at-my-lips-even-though-you're-trying-to-avoid-it smile. "Hey there. You almost got me that time," his voice clearly amused.

She was staring at his violet eyes for what seemed like a minute before his words registered on her brain. "Yes. I did. Sorry. I have to go." Nora silently cursed her awkward tongue as she tentatively smiled at him and walked around him in the direction of her house. She could _feel_ his eyes on her and hoped that she didn't trip over her own feet while he was watching.


	3. 3 It's a Tradition!

**Chapter 3 – It's a Tradition!**

Toby opened the door to his house, laying his skateboard quietly just inside of the door, hoping to get up to his room to just crash without Aunt Fuchsia getting a hold of him to grill—_discuss_ his day.

"Tobias!" A sweet but stern voice called. Alas, no such luck. Toby's shoulders slumped and he turned to his right, facing the living room where his aunt had apparently strategically placed herself so that she would know the moment Toby was home. She was sitting on the sofa under the front windows, her brown-gray hair pulled back into a girlish ponytail. She looked delicate with her fine-bone features and small petite frame but having been raised by her since he was a small child after the death of his parents, he knew that she was anything but weak.

"Hello, Aunt," he said, giving her his crooked smile. He sensed that she was gearing up to tell him something but after having just weathered his first day back at school, he wanted to see if he could put if off until at least after dinner.

"Come. Sit down, boy. There's something I need to go over with you." Toby sat on the chair across from where she sat and raised his eyebrows. "Don't give me your sarcastic teenage rebellion stuff right now," she huffed. "This is important and I need to get going soon so listen to what I have to say."

Intrigued, he leaned forward in his seat. A small affectionate smile appeared on her face, her Harman-violet eyes taking him in. "You've grown so much, Toby, and become a fine young man. Your father would be proud of the witch you've become. Even your great-aunt Harman would be proud, despite the fact that you are male. Why, I recall—" _Oh for crying out loud. _She could go on a roll if he didn't stop her.

"Aunt!" said Toby, bringing her attention back to the present. "You had something _important _to say?"

She looked at him with raised brows, mocking his earlier look. "Right." She sat up straighter, bringing her hands in front of her in and her voice took on an instructive tone, "As I was saying, we Weis-Harmans have a strong family tradition which initiates each family member with power into the witches' circles.

"The tradition dates back to the American colonial days where our ancestor needed to prove himself to the female Harmans that he was just as much of a witch as they were. The Crone of the Witches at the time placed a strong spell on him and he had one week in which to find a counter-spell or he was stripped of his powers. He did find the spell within a week and was able to keep his powers and ever after that, we Harmans descended from his line undergo a similar test."

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" asked Toby. She gave him a look.

"It's tradition Toby. If we don't hold to our old rites and rituals we won't have any sense of our own history and we might as well just be human," she added the last with a vehement slap to her knee.

"Okay, okay. I get it." Toby's hands were up in a placating gesture. "No way of getting out of it." A sudden thought hit him. "What was the spell that the old Harman male got?"

"No one really knows. I mean, maybe the Crone, Mother and Maiden do, but the rest of us don't. It's part of the tradition, we each get our own test, unknown to others." And Toby just had to accept it, was the unsaid communication.

"So how does it work? Do I have to get dressed up in some robes and step into a circle of candles while you and every Harman we know of chants around me?"

"No, we aren't at that point yet. Your initiation will start tomorrow morning and you will take it from there. You'll have access to the library in the attic so make good use of it. You have a week." She stood up, slapping her hands together as if to call a close to the meeting. "Speaking of which, I need to get going. By the way, you cannot have help from family on this. You are going to be on your own. I, on the other hand, will go visit the rest of the clan in Vegas."

She walked over to him and gave him a sound kiss on his forehead before going to the doorway, pausing to give him her last bit of advice. "The most important thing to remember is you were _born_ a Harman. We date back to the first witch herself. Magic is in each cell of us, to the very core of our bones. Trust your instincts." She disappeared through the doorway.

Toby let out a breath and leaned his head against the back of his chair. This is just what he needed. Hundreds of years of tradition breathing down his neck and threatening his powers in addition to handling the first week of his last year in high school. Awesome.


	4. 4 And So It Begins

**Chapter 4 – And So It Begins…**

Nora woke up with a smile on her face. She knew, down to her geeky little soul, that she would never be able to tell anyone this—well, maybe Zen but that would be _years_ down the road—but she was excited about going to school. She had a friend, people to sit and eat with and, _Oh, let's just admit it_, Toby would be there. And she would be able to . . .to . . . stare at him. It's not like she didn't have the intention to do something about what was going on or possibly going on between them, if it was anything and not just some conjured up imaginary link thing—she sat up and rubbed her face with her hands, interrupting her stream of increasingly confusing thoughts. God, sometimes she could be a bit pathetic.

She got out of bed and made her way to her bathroom, passing her packed but neatly arranged bookshelves and her pet turtle, Monster, who seemed to be enjoying his ability to keep sleeping in even though summer was over. She tried to get ready as if it was just a regular day, as if she was _not_ trying to impress anyone. But, in the end, it took her 10 extra minutes to find a shirt she felt flattered her (dark violet in color), 5 more minutes to locate her barely used makeup bag and put on eyeliner, blush and mascara and another 10 minutes to try something different with her hair instead of leaving it down then finally giving up with a frustrated growl-yell that had Monster peeking his bald green head out of his shell.

Annoyed at herself for trying to make herself different over a boy, she finished dressing and headed downstairs, in a rush now that she had spent so much time on decidedly fruitless endeavors. Her parents had already gone to work, her mom leaving her a blueberry muffin to start her day.

She made it to first period without any collisions (unfortunately) and seeing Zen, took the seat next to her. As soon as Zen saw Nora, she started talking, her peppy voice somehow energizing Nora. "Hey." Nora opened her mouth to return the greeting but Zen apparently didn't need any acknowledgment as she continued with, "So? What are you going to wear tomorrow night? It's not a huge thing, really, except that it is because, as much as I personally like your whole nice shirt and jeans thing you got going, that ain't gonna work for MD. Big money, big house, big head, you know what I mean? We'll go shopping this afternoon." Zen faced the front of the class again, leaving Nora with her mouth open in a feeble attempt to get a word in edgewise. Mr. Thornby called roll and Nora mirrored Zen's action and faced forward. Clearly, she had to get faster if she was going to survive the phenomenon known as Zen.

Lit 2 was the class before lunch and Nora could barely sit still and concentrate on what was being gone over. Nora had never actually felt this jittery, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling about someone. She'd seen guys she'd liked, sure, but she hadn't _liked_ someone really, mostly because she could never get up to the point of actually talking to the guy to find more substance than looks. And if she was being honest, it was because she didn't know the tricks and come-ons that other girls her age seemed to get embedded in their brain when they hit puberty. Sometimes Nora felt like she had missed out on some secret female rite that initiated girls into the art of flirting with boys.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class and Nora quickly gathered her things together and headed for the door. _There is no need to run_, she reminded herself, slowing her pace down. She felt a small smile make its way to her face at her silliness which brought a sparkle to her eye that had a couple boys passing her in the hall taking a double glance at her. Unluckily for them, Nora's attention was solely focused on getting to the cafeteria to see if that moment she had experienced yesterday with Toby hadn't been some fluke.

She got to the entrance of the cafeteria and, just before stepping through it, she took a calming breath. As she moved forward, her eyes automatically went to the table in the corner. She could see J.R., Zen and the rest but to her disappointment, no golden messy-haired Toby. The anticlimax of her earlier anticipation was depressing. She looked towards the food line. Maybe she could grab something to perk her up and made her way towards woman's substitute for man: chocolate.

* * *

Toby woke up thinking it was going to be just another day. That is, until he got to school and was faced with the reality of his aunt's words on the initiation of a Weis-Harman. But, we get ahead of ourselves.

So Toby woke up feeling like the walking dead as usual and rolled out of bed to get ready for school. When he got down to the kitchen, he expected his aunt to be there, prepared to stuff him with a nutritious breakfast before he headed out. But when he got down there, all he got was a note from Fuchsia reminding him that she would be out of town for the duration of his test but that she had made sure to provide enough food that he only had to heat up to eat and if all else failed, he had cereal in the cupboard.

He ate some cereal quickly as he was running late as usual and hopped on his skateboard to make his way to Sherville High. He took care to look around him so that he didn't have any casualties like the day before though that had been highly unusual for him, slightly embarrassing and surprisingly good because it had brought to his attention the girl who seemed to be occupying his thoughts more and more: Nora. Not that he could really do anything about it, given all the Night World laws, etc. but still. It was something he could fantasize about. It wasn't as if he had vampires living in his neighborhood who could read his mind. Thank god.

He jostled his way through the school hallways to get to first period and slumped in his usual seat next to J.R. He greeted J.R. who was busy talking to some girl with curly black hair next to him and therefore didn't return it. Toby shrugged and waited for the teacher to call roll.

Mrs. Shapewood called out the students' names and passed over Toby's name. He barely registered that she didn't seem to recognize that he'd answered to it. A small chill of premonition went down his back.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see J.R. giving worried sidelong glances in his direction every minute or so. Toby gave him a nod, just wanting to show J.R. that it was all right, whatever it was that J.R. was worried about. J.R. didn't seem to get it as he kept looking in his direction throughout the class.

Once class ended, the pretty brunette from earlier stood up with J.R. as Toby bent down to get his backpack. "I wonder where Toby is," she commented to the dreadlocked boy.

"I know. It's not like him to miss class without telling me at least," J.R.'s low baritone came in reply.

"Hey! I'm right here, bro! Been next to you the entire freaking class." Toby was a little irritated by J.R.'s continued weird behavior, behaving like he wasn't even around. Despite his heated reply, it didn't seem to register on J.R. who just walked out of the room with the brunette, leaving Toby behind.

Again, that cold wave of knowing went down Toby's back. He pushed his way through the door to get to the bathroom before the next class. As he walked in, another boy was heading out, knocking Toby in the shoulder. The guy didn't say anything, just giving Toby a confused look without even meeting his eyes. Toby could feel his patience wearing very thin and didn't even expend any more thought on the guy before moving to the bathroom mirror. He looked at his reflection, almost half-expecting not to see himself but no, there he was, living and breathing. _At least I'm not a ghost. I can be knocked into but can't be seen or heard it seems._

To test his theory he shouted a loud "Hello!" that didn't disturb the guy next to him in the least as he washed his hands. Toby reached out and gave him a light smack on the back of his head which did get the guy's attention but he looked around bewildered, not able to locate the source of the hit. Toby snickered, feeling a bit better in a vindictive sort of way because, for the moment, he wasn't the only guy baffled by what was happening. The other young man quickly dried his hands and got out of the bathroom, muttering something that sounded like a prayer.

Toby sighed. His test seemed to be getting himself un-invisible. He hadn't heard of a spell before that could make a person wholly unseen and unheard without being someone like Maya, the first vampire and a daughter of the Hearth-Woman. When his aunt had said a powerful spell, he had been thinking more along the lines of needing to conjure up some sort of ward around the house that one of the Witch's Council couldn't penetrate, not something so. . . personal.

He headed to his next class a bit dejectedly as he didn't really know what to do at this point and felt it was a bit out of his hands. He sat in one of the seats towards the back of the class and stared at the front wall. A student ambled in and placed his bag on the desk that Toby was sitting at before trying to sit down straight on his lap. _Okay, that's it! _Toby jumped up with a sudden force, pushing the guy over the next desk, and straight into the girl who sat there, spilling her papers and pens all over the floor. The other students around them got out of their seats as well, surprised at the random attack from the guy, a couple of them laughing at the display.

Toby, frustrated with the predicament that he now knew he was facing, picked his stuff up, barely noting the surprised look on one of the girls' faces and her whispered words, "The bag. It just disappeared," so faint that he only caught it because he was right next to her. He walked swiftly to the door, slamming it shut in a childish display of temper, knowing that no one could see him doing so.

He headed towards the exit doors to go home and straight to his attic. He needed to get started on finding the counter-spell now. He'd be considered missing from school regardless of whether he was there or not.

* * *

Fuchsia pushed open the doors of the small shop just off a neat side street in Las Vegas, welcoming the smell of the various herbs and incense that accompanied the Harman shop. A very pregnant, dark skinned woman approached her with open arms. "Fuchsia!" she cried, trying to give the elder woman a hug while maneuvering her large belly out of the way.

"Aradia! You're glowing! It'll be, what, less than a month before we welcome your little one?" Fuchsia asked as she returned the hug.

The Mother of the Witches nodded, her smile lighting up her face. "Come," she grabbed Fuchsia's hand, bringing her to the back where she had a tea tray already set up on a small coffee table in a cozy sitting room.

"Already expecting me, I see." Fuchsia was amused. Being blind had never been a hindrance to Aradia, who saw more than any witch. They settled into the velvet covered chairs around the small table. Aradia handed Fuchsia a cup of tea and took her own, bringing it up to her nose and giving it a delicate sniff.

"Your nephew has started his initiation." A statement because of course, she already knew.

Fuchsia nodded. "I'm a little concerned as he really is the only Night Worlder in our neighborhood. He'd have to travel to the next city to get any help or supplies and he's only been there a few times." She took a sip of her tea to hide her worried frown.

Aradia put her tea cup down, reaching across to lay her small brown hand on the woman's pale wrist. "Do not worry. He has all the help he needs." With a mysterious smile, she pulled back and picked up her cup again. "And besides, he is a Harman after all."

* * *

_Author's note: OK. OK. I didn't want to have to do this but I'm going to: Please, pretty pretty please leave a review? I slave, I sweat, I break fingernails to punch out a story to be read and all I ask in return are a few kind words, or even well-meaning criticisms! I'll take anything! Press this button *points down* Thank you!_


	5. 5 I'm Sorry, But What Just Happened?

_Author's Note: I'm sorry that it's been a while since I updated for this story but work caught up to me, then a Dramione story hit me (__The Longest Walk of Her Life_ _– please check out!), then writer's block, then a good book and now I'm back! I have this story all planned out so it'll wrap up soon…ish._

**Chapter 5 – I'm Sorry, But What Just Happened?**

There were only a few things that really got to Nora, private aggravations that she kept to herself, never one to air out her disturbances to others, but still they were there:

1) How her locker, every other day of the week, had a tendency to pop open after she'd shut it. But only after she'd walked halfway down the hallway.

2) The fact that her cousin Brian never remembered her name and at any family event called her "Penny". _No one in the family was named "Penny". Where did he even _get_ that name?_

3) How her computer had a tendency to disconnect from the internet at least once but only right after she had logged on, taking twice the amount of time to get anywhere with the thing.

4) Being in a situation where other teenagers were totally comfortable yet she was not.

Her normal solution to #4 was usually just to not get into such situations and hence avert bringing about an uncomfortabilitythat was, well, uncomfortable. But here she was at a party (the most uncomfortable uncomfortableness), with her (and honestly partly Zen's) new determination to make her life a bit more exciting.

Zen, as promised, had shown up outside of the classroom door of Nora's last period yesterday, shifting excitedly from foot to foot, like a small child eager for a special treat…_or someone who really had to go to the bathroom, _added a sarcastic voice in her mind. Nora smiled her small smile and went out to meet Zen before she burst. Zen immediately latched onto Nora's arm and started barreling towards the exit doors. "This is going to be a Great Moment in your life, Nora!" she said, her already overwhelming enthusiasm reaching a new high. Nora was sure that if there weren't so many bodies in the hallway, Zen would be sprinting. Nora gave a breathless chuckle as she allowed Zen to lead the way.

They had hit the mall, Zen still chattering away about the different fashions and styles that would look best on Nora, her pet project. "I'm so glad you wore violet. It sets off a lovely tint in your hair and deepens your eyes. That and something like vivid red would look great on you!" Nora secretly hoped that Zen wouldn't force anything too bright on her. She felt she was going to be conspicuous enough at the party, having never really attended one before.

They bypassed all the shops that Nora thought they would have gone to—Forever 21, Macy's, J. Crew, H&M—stopped in front of a dark looking door that other shoppers seemed to ignore as they hurried by with their own shopping bags. Nora gave Zen a curious look who returned it with a mysterious smile and an obscure reply, "This place is a well-known secret," before she opened the doors to what had to be the most opulent yet elegant and intimate-feeling store Nora had ever seen. She could feel her eyes grow round as she took in the thick white carpet, the red and pink designed sofas and settees, the red and gold Chinese lanterns creating a soft yellow glow against the white paneled walls.

"Welcome to The Dressing Room," a large but fashionably-dressed dark woman greeted, coming out from behind a corner that Nora guessed led to a fitting area of some sort. The polite friendly smile turned into a warmer one as the woman noted who had come into her store. "Zen! Honey, what are you doing here?" She came forward to hug Zen close to her ample bosom.

"Hey, Mom, I brought a friend." She indicated Nora who gave a little wave.

The woman smiled at her and moved forward to also take Nora in a big hug. Unused to such public displays, Nora let her do it, keeping her arms to the side as she wasn't sure what to do. Zen's mom didn't seem to notice. She took Nora by her shoulders to have a good look at her. "I'm Talinthia, better known as Tal. Now what are you girls here for?"

Zen quickly filled her in on the need of a dress and Tal looked more closely at Nora, seeming to take in her measurements by eye alone. "I have just the thing. I'll be right back." She indicated for the girls to sit down on one of the sofas and have some of the refreshments there.

Nora sat stiffly on one of the couches. "Zen…I don't know if I can afford anything here," she said quietly.

Zen gave her customary hand gesture, brushing aside her comment like duck fluff, "I get a special discount that you can use." She gave Nora a brilliant smile. Not wanting to offend her, Nora smiled back and relaxed a little bit, enjoying the vanilla tea that was provided while Zen gave her a little more information on how this store existed. Apparently, Tal serviced a specific high-end clientele and by word of mouth alone, she was able to keep it alive. Tal had an almost mystical way of being able to dress someone in clothes that would make the wearer look and feel good.

When Tal had gotten back to Nora with a dress and she'd tried it on, she fell instantly in love with it. She wasn't one to dress up a lot or even look through catalogs but Nora could see that it was a very fashionable dress but also something that she could be comfortable in. It was a dark blue almost black dress that had a high square cut in the front but a draped back with a large satin flower on one shoulder and a skirt that stopped just above her knees. It was cut to show off a figure that Nora hadn't even known really existed. Zen had nearly blown up with exhilaration. "It's Perfect Perfect Perfect!" she'd squealed. Nora hadn't been able to help herself and done a little squealing herself.

The next day at school had really just been a filler for Nora in anticipation of the party that night. She had gone to school hoping to see Toby but he hadn't been around all day. Nora had wanted to ask Zen or J.R. about it but they hadn't brought up Toby's absence and she hadn't wanted to be the one to do it, just in case they figured out her crush on him. After school, Zen had brought her own party stuff to Nora's house to get ready for the party. She didn't seem to expect Nora to have a whole lot of styling and make-up things so had brought her own suitcase filled with the "Necessary Tools to Becoming Unbelievably F*ing Gorgeous" as Zen put it.

And so, here she was standing in a corner of Melissa D's large sitting area, close to the French doors that led to a balcony which swept around the house (mansion, really) and down into the lush gardens that Nora was sure MD's father kept a team of gardeners for. She was wearing the extremely awesome dress, her hair had been wrangled into some up-do that Zen swore brought out Nora's heretofore unknown model-like cheekbones and wearing more make-up than she ever had before but apparently was necessary to show off her almond-shaped eyes. She was going to take Zen's word for it because all Nora saw when she looked in the mirror was herself, granted looking more close to pretty than she would think, but still just herself.

Zen had gone off to get some drinks and food and disappeared into the thick crowd. Nora knew there were chairs and sofas on the other side of the large room but the view was blocked by at least 50 of her fellow students who had made an impromptu dance floor by moving aside the remaining of the furniture to rest against the walls. The music was some recent dance music that even had Nora's body moving in time to it, albeit very subtly that if you were looking at her, you would just see her standing there. Her eyes swept the room and suddenly caught on a much thought about golden head. _Toby. _ He was standing on the edge of the room, where the carpet met the marble of the wide foyer. He looked occupied, his eyes moving around but not really alighting on anything.

She moved towards him without thinking, seized by a new found courage to actually say something to him, to be daring. Maybe it was the dress, maybe it was the hair or maybe it was just the fact that she felt a sudden aliveness in her body that sent her blood moving faster and made her aware of everything around her. He hadn't noticed her, too involved in whatever it was that he was thinking about. By the time she reached his side, he was still staring off into the middle distance.

She took a deep breath, the heart pounding in her ears and said, "Hey, Toby". His head snapped around so fast that she could almost hear a crack and he stared at her with wide violet eyes. She was unsettled. "Erm, nice seeing you here. I—I—think I see Zen over there," her hand moved in a vague motion; he still hadn't moved or said a word. "I'll, um, just be going…then," and took a step away from him.

His hand shot out and grabbed her by the shoulder, smashing the large satin flower there. She gasped, startled. "Wait! Sorry. You—" he hesitated there, his eyes turning dark with intensity, "You can see me?" He seemed anxious to hear her answer.

"What?" _Great. Just when I find a guy who makes me feel _something, _he starts being super-weird._ His eyes looked from left to right, as if looking out for someone and putting a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture, he motioned for her to follow him to the outside patio. With a furtive look around herself, noting that no one else seemed to be noticing his odd behavior, she followed him out into the night.

* * *

Toby had spent the past two days trying to find a counter-spell for being invisible. He'd holed himself up in his attic, pouring over the large and ancient tomes contained within the family library, barely eating and staying up into the late hours. He'd gone through half of the spellbooks up there, starting from the most recent and going back. There had been mentions of turning other inanimate objects invisible which might have some use for him so he had bookmarked the page and set the book aside to be looked at later.

He had come tonight to get a little distance from the problem, see if that would help solve it but so far, he had spent the past ½ hour contemplating how he was going to get out of the impossible situation he found himself in. That is, until Nora had approached him.

Now he stood in the shadows on the balcony outside the loud pulsing party, facing Nora, the only person since this initiation started who could _see and hear_ him. It was mind boggling. What was it about her? Was she a witch? He looked down at her. He knew he was making her nervous because she kept glancing around and shifting her feet, her hands came up unconsciously to cup her elbows.

The air felt electric around them. Like all the molecules and particles in the air, the fiber and veins of the plants surrounding them, even the wall right next to them thrummed with some extra energy in anticipation of something momentous. He didn't know quite how to beat around the bush. He knew the rules:

_1) Never allow humans to gain knowledge of the Night World's existence;_

_2) Never fall in love with one of them._

He knew them but here he was, in a situation that he didn't know how to handle and was losing hope on. He had 5 days left before he was going to be stripped of his Power if he didn't do something. And this slip of a girl, this quiet thing was somehow an Exception and from the moment she had greeted him tonight, his only hope.

He plunged forward, breaking the first Law, expecting the Goddess' hand to strike him down at any moment. "Have you ever heard of the Night World?" he asked in a husky voice, not wanting this conversation to get any further than her ears.

Her dark eyes met his, startled but no flash of recognition. Not that he was really expecting it. Well, sort of. "No," she paused then tentatively went on, "Is it some kind of club?"

"Sort of," he sighed in frustration, looking up at the night sky and ran his hands through his hair. He never expected to be in a position where he would have to explain the Night World to someone who most of his people, actually mainly the 'wolves and vamps, considered to be vermin. "It's more of a secret society. We live in your world, hold jobs, go on vacations, a lot of us can have families and basically live a human life. But…we're not human." This last said looking straight into her eyes.

She just stared at him. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, she kept her face straight. "What do you mean: 'not human?'" He respected the fact that she was keeping her head, asking the right questions.

"Those stories you've heard—you know, the _Twilight Saga_, _An American Werewolf in Paris_, _Bewitched_? Well, we're _those _people. Vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, witches: we're real." She was still silently looking at him, processing the information. He brought his hand up between them and concentrating, snapped his fingers, producing a bright orange flame. She jumped back with a small gasp of shock. "I am a witch," he finished.

She brought her eyes up to his and her face, which had been so composed, suddenly collapsed within itself, hurt written over her features. "That was mean, Toby," she said in a low voice, her eyes glittering, "I may not be like everyone else, I may not be 'cool', but I don't deserve to be treated this way." She turned to walk away.

"No! Nora, I'm not playing some trick on you!" he started to say but really only got out, "No! Nora—" as he had instinctively reached out to grab her arm to prevent her from leaving but the instant his bare hand had touched her exposed skin, the world simply exploded.


	6. 6 The Soulmate Principle

**Chapter 6 – The Soulmate Principle**

The experience was mind-numbing to say the least. No thoughts were running through Nora's mind—well, none except, _This is what Harry Potter must have felt like when Voldemort killed him and he went to a quasi-after life._ She felt rather than heard an amused snort coming from Toby.

_Oh, god_. He was _here _in her mind. Her first instinct was to panic and get out of there, but then a sudden warmth, a feeling of comfort enveloped her. Toby wasn't freaked out—caught off guard, floored, who-the-hell-would've-though-Toby-getting-involved-in-_this_, yes. But freaked out? No.

_Toby? _she hesitantly thought, somehow knowing that he would hear her.

_Hm? _

_What did you mean by "_this_"?_

She felt him tense at her question, consider it and then relax, as if he was giving in to the inevitable. _Come here, _came the reply.

She saw what looked like a white pool of light in the maelstrom of colors that were their minds. How was she supposed to "come here"? This wasn't really a place where she could just walk over there and as she had that thought of "there" she was in the light and fully in Toby's mind and in a completely different world.

The feelings and thoughts enveloping her were so new and unfamiliar. She saw glimpses of memories from Toby's childhood, his friends now, an older woman with Toby's violet eyes. But what he had called her over to see was right in front of her.

_The Soulmate Principle. _Two people meant to be together; apart just one lonely being, not fully complete until their other half is found. And once the other is found, there was no denying it. This rang true with Nora whose life had seemed empty, monotonous, unfulfilling until the day Toby came crashing into her life.

"I feel the same way," his voice came from behind. She turned, in this quiet space, to face him. His indigo eyes reserved but within there was a sparkle, something she had never seen when someone looked at her. "I thought there was something about you, Nora, but I definitely wasn't expecting this."

She felt a little stung at his words. He didn't want to be her soulmate? Immediately his eyes grew concerned and he moved forward to take her into his arms, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she who had never let anyone close to her to suddenly be in a close embrace with a _boy._

"Oh, no, no, no. I _do _want to be your soulmate. There's something about you—" and he stopped there, as if the next words were too important to not give them due consideration. She moved her head up to meet his gaze and her breath caught—

"Nora? Nora! Girl!" Zen's loud and unique voice cut through the haze of loveliness that she and Toby were caught up in.

Nora opened her eyes with a sharp intake of breath, surprised that she didn't feel ripped away from Toby from the interruption. It felt more like they were just across the room from each other rather than in completely separate buildings. Zen was standing in front of her, hands on her hips and worry in her eyes. "You okay?" her tone uncharacteristically reticent.

Nora stared at her then glanced down at herself. She realized she'd been leaning against the wall, her body right up against Toby's, who hadn't moved since Zen had come. Nora glanced up at him and he shook his head, whispering "Please don't mention me." She gave him a very slight nod and looked back at Zen who was now eyeing her curiously.

"I'm okay." Nora straightened, bringing her arms around herself to bring some warmth to herself, get herself more grounded in this environment, outside the space she and Toby had created. "I just needed some air. I'll be there in a sec."

"Oh-kay," Zen replied, dragging the syllables out, obviously skeptical of her explanation. "I'll just be inside the door," she said as she moved back into the house.

Nora took a deep breath as she turned back to meet Toby's eyes. He had that crooked smile on again. She gave her little smile. She thought she would feel awkward or embarrassed after all that, just like she always was, but surprisingly enough she felt comfortable—maybe not too comfortable because she did have a tingly feeling all over her skin right down to her toes and her stomach still did little flips whenever their eyes met and she could practically hear her heart thundering in her ears—but other than that, she felt pretty comfortable around Toby.

"I have to go," she whispered.

"I know," he whispered back, though no one would hear him anyway. He brought a hand up to brush her hair back from her face and the connected feeling was back. "I'll see you after school tomorrow, I'll be in the front."

She was just starting to appreciate whatever was happening between them. This gorgeous guy was going to be _waiting _for her after school! All she could do was give him a brilliant smile that, unknown to her, transformed her face from passably pretty to stunning. Goddess, this girl was beautiful to him.

He felt his face moving closer to hers, that silver connection tightening between them. He was unable to deny it but also not caring to. He saw a scared look enter her eyes and paused. A flush slowly crept its way up her face. _Okay, so maybe not _that _comfortable, _she thought ruefully.

He smiled at her, understanding in his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	7. 7 The Witch's Den

_Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long on this story! I'm going to try to wrap it up in the next few chapters._

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Witch's Den**

"Hey, Nor, what was last night all about?" Zen's sudden question caused Nora to start guiltily. Which Nora didn't understand because it wasn't as if she'd been involved in some criminal act or some other shady activity. She also didn't understand how Zen could shorten her already short name even further.

She glanced at her friend who was sitting next to her as they ate at a deli that Nora had _had_ to check out, according to Zen. Who, as Nora saw in glancing at her, was moving one of her bone-shaped earrings in and out of her ear. Nora had a hard time looking at it and kept her face towards the front of the deli. She swallowed the instinctive "nothing" which would only make it seem like there _was _something. Which there _was_ but not something that Nora felt like she should share so it _was_ basically nothing.

"I think it was supposed to be a back-to-school party," she answered nonchalantly, deliberately misunderstanding the question. She noticed one of the people behind the counter sneaking a pickle from the pans in front of him into his mouth.

Zen's birdlike but very solid hand connected with the back of Nora's head in an affectionate but still jarring tap. "I know that, Newbs!"—a nickname Nora hoped Zen would get over quickly since it's unfortunate capacity to rhyme with a variety of human body parts—"but when you were outside by yourself, looking out of it. Did anyone in the crowd get to you?"

Nora finally spotted the note of concern in the girl's voice. She felt bad for having to lie to her friend but knew she had to. She did look at Zen now, the darker girl's large eyes filled with some concern. "No one bothered me, Zen. It's just that I'm not used to being around at parties like that. But I did have fun." She smiled a real smile at this. While Zen had no idea that Nora was actually thinking about her interlude with Toby and not the party itself, this seemed to comfort Zen as she returned Nora's smile.

They finished eating lunch and went their separate ways, Zen having to meet up with her mom at her boutique and Nora somehow having to find out where her invisible friend meant to meet her.

She nearly laughed aloud thinking this. There had been about a six month period when she'd been four years old and she had been convinced that she had a playmate that only she could see. She had caused her parents worry by the way she turned away from other children at the daycare so she could spend time with her invisible friend. And here she was, nearly an adult, and still having an invisible friend.

She was still grinning as she turned the corner of the deli and spotted Toby lounging just down the street. He straightened as he saw her and gave her a little wave. She brought her hand up and nearly waved back before remembering that she would look like an imbecile and moved her hand into her hair, as if she was just rearranging it. She saw him grin at that. The silver chord between them hummed, the feeling of connectedness not quite in place but still definitely there.

He nodded at her as she approached. "Hey." She gave him a quick smile in return greeting and stood on the corner, balancing herself on the curb and looking out at the street, as if she was waiting for a ride. Understanding, he moved himself so he was next to her. "I was thinking that you could probably help me with this slight dilemma I have going on."

She glanced at him when he didn't continue. He gave her a wry smile, his violet eyes amused. "I'm invisible to everyone if you hadn't noticed." She smiled back. "I don't want you to feel weird or anything, but I think it'd be best if we went to my house to actually talk. I mean," his voice got a bit soft at this point, wanting her to agree but trying not to force her decision, "we can't really talk anywhere else without you looking nuts."

She gave a soft laugh at this. It was true. She'd look like the crazy woman who frequently popped up near her mother's downtown office. The woman wore full costumes for each holiday and spoke to her dead husband Gilbert. Nora kind of liked her because she at least knew if the Fourth of July was coming up when the lady wore her Uncle Sam outfit.

She nodded in agreement to Toby and was surprised to feel relief coming from him through that silver chord. She couldn't think of him as being anything but cool and laid-back. It was strange, this ability to really see into another. She was starting to realize that she actually wasn't that different from everyone else. People had their insecurities and fears, just like her. Well, except maybe Zen who was just another species entirely it seemed.

"What am I going to see when I get there? Bubbling cauldrons? Eye of newt?" she asked as they headed in the opposite direction from Nora's house.

"No, more like shrunken heads and medicine bundles," Toby joked back. She laughed and elbowed him, amazed at the ease that she felt with him. With hardly any barriers between their true selves, there wasn't much point in trying to keep oneself distant and aloof.

Toby's house was quaint. It was the immediate word that came to Nora's house. It was a white, two-story building with midnight blue shutters and door. As they stepped into the house, Nora couldn't suppress the slight apprehension she felt in entering a "witch's lair". She knew Toby could feel it too but surprisingly he wasn't amused or hurt by it and seemed to understand. He let her take her time in looking around the small hallway that lead up to the stairs and opened up to the living room on one side and an office/library space on the other.

"Where's your familiar?" she asked, trying to ride over her nervousness.

"Darkie's probably outside," he replied. "She's a black cat, of course. I named her when I was eight," he added with a sheepish grin.

For some reason, this worked in fully relaxing Nora to her surroundings. There was a lingering scent of spice that she couldn't put a name to but that was automatically linked to "magical" in her mind. The house was warm and inviting and not at all what Nora would've conceived a witch's home would have looked like.

Sensing her relaxing, Toby gestured to a door just past the stairs. "That's the kitchen. I think we'd better start there so I can explain what exactly it is I need help on."

In the kitchen, he sat her down at the square wooden table that looked to have been in his family for generations. The surface was glossy but worn. When she ran her fingers across it, waiting as Toby got her an iced tea, she could feel the indentions and scratches from countless meals and meetings that must've occurred over it. The wide windows over the sink counter captured the afternoon sun and flooded the room with soft light. It was a comfortable space.

As Toby explained to her his dilemma: the initiation and the consequences attached, Nora found herself wondering about something—other than the fact that this god-like creature was suddenly inexplicably connected to her. "Toby," she entered in when he'd paused, "does anyone else at school know you're a witch?"

He was guarded in his expression. "No."

"Why? Is there a reason why? Other than the fact that someone might think you're daft but after you do that fire thing, I don't see how people can't believe you."

He looked away, out the window, avoiding her eyes but the thing about being soulmates was: one couldn't avoid them completely. She could sense his apprehension and—"Wait. You're breaking the rules? What will happen if one of your people, your 'police' or whoever find out you've told me?" She could feel herself getting worked up.

"Oh, you know," he glanced back at her, "death by a thousand lashings and that sort of thing." His tone was casual but his look was serious.

"Are you freaking crazy?" she burst out, jumping out of her seat. "It's a _death_ sentence to break the rules? Are you out of your mind?" The thought of Toby dying seemed to send her into a panic she had never experienced. She realized that the thing about coming alive and being part of the world was that one went through both the ups and the downs of living.

He'd gotten out of his seat at her outburst and had his hands up as if to grab her should she attack him. Not that Nora was planning on doing that. Really. She wasn't that sort of girl. Well, she hadn't been before this moment. Now, she didn't know what she was capable of.

"Hey, calm down. Nora, chill. Please." Along with his words came reassurance through their connection and she could feel herself chilling out. Part of her still wanted to be angry but she shushed it and let herself be calmed. His hands came around her shoulders and pulled her to him and she automatically put her arms around his waist, letting herself be held. It was funny, having never relied on someone before and feeling like you didn't need to and then suddenly finding out that it was okay to do that, you weren't less for doing so, but somehow more.

"Look, I've heard of others doing this. This soulmate thing. It's been happening all over the place in the Night World—vampires and witches falling in love with humans. There is a safe zone for us. It's called Circle Daybreak. That's where we'll be going once we've figured this out. It'll be okay."

Despite herself, she did feel comforted. It was kind of hard not to be when being held in a tight hug and the rumble of his voice echoing under her ear which was pressed against his chest. She took a deep breath, memorizing the smell of Toby and lifted her head. He was looking down at her, his violet eyes warm. She was caught in his look.

There was a pause in the rotation of the universe and then his lips lightly touched hers in her first kiss ever. There wasn't an explosion this time. It was more like the wonder of watching a flower opening up to the sudden glory of the sun's first rays, of letting go of the handlebars as your bike cruises downhill, of feeling the beginnings of spring in the warm breeze as it caresses your face. She responded to his kiss and, for a time, it was only the two of them, in that place known only by the lucky few.

* * *

When Toby showed Nora the Weis-Harman attic for the first time, she was overwhelmed by the amount of books crammed into each nook and cranny of the room. The attic wasn't small but it also wasn't large. There were two windows situated on either side of the room, facing east and west, so that one could watch the sun rise and set, sometimes a significant part of a spell, Toby explained.

He showed her where he had started looking for a counter-spell to his invisibility, holding her hand, keeping her close by his side, occasionally turning his head to kiss her lightly on her forehead or hair or mouth, whichever seemed to be closest at the time. She got a warm fizz each time he did that which made her giggle and distracted her from what he was saying, but still he continued.

Finally, she pulled away. "Toby! We aren't going to get any work done if you keep doing that," she mock-sternly reprimanded him.

He tried to look apologetic but failed as he wasn't and lifted her into his arms and gave her a smacking kiss that set her fingers and toes tingling. "Okay, I'm serious now," he said as he put her back down. "But you're going to have to stay close to me or I might completely disappear."

She smiled and lightly smacked his shoulder as she stepped away to grab a large and ancient looking book from the shelf. They both sat on the carpet in front of the shelf they were going through, knees touching, and proceeded to comb the books for counter-spells to invisibility. They spent hours pouring through the books on the one bookshelf until the twilight sun had nearly vanished.

Nora now saw the enormity of Toby's task and could understand the slight tinge of desperation she had sensed in him last night. None of the books really went over a complete human invisibility spell that included blocking out the person's voice from others. There was some that lasted for an hour or until the sun set but, from what Toby had told her, the spell cast on him seemed impervious to any of these limiting factors.

_Would it be so bad for him to be just human?_ she asked herself. She looked at Toby who had his chin resting on his elbow as he sat cross-legged and snapped his fingers to cause a coin to float up off the ground five inches, then with another snap, she watched the coin drop. He was frowning, his eyes a bit hopeless and she could feel his dejectedness.

_Yes, I suppose it would._ She sighed and pulled the next book off the shelf and opened it, turning the old pages carefully, searching for the solution to what was starting to look like an impossible problem.


	8. 8 Driving Lessons

**Chapter 8 – Driving Lessons**

Toby met her after school on Monday, eyes alight with discovery. "I've got it, Nora! I found the spell!" His voice was excited.

Nora nodded at him, unable to respond because Zen was chattering away on her other side, wanting to go to the movies that night. Toby unfortunately didn't really notice and kept talking.

"I found it this morning in some really old book that had gotten behind the ones on house-cleaning (which by the way annoys me—house-cleaning? Really?) and there it was! Right in the middle of the book! Relieving invisibility! But we have to go get the ingredients right now!" He grabbed her hand and she stumbled as he pulled her faster towards the sidewalk.

"Whoa!" Zen's hand grabbed at Nora before she fell. "You okay?" Her piercings slightly blinded Nora as the sun hit her face and she squinted.

"Um, yeah," she replied, surreptitiously trying to get Toby's hand out of hers. Her arm was angled away from her body, randomly hanging up in the air, a fact that Zen had taken note of and was staring at her strangely. Nora could feel her face heat up and with one sudden tug, she was able to free her hand from Toby's. God, she was looking strange to Zen wasn't she.

Toby seemed to finally catch on and stood quietly to the side.

"Anyway, like I was saying, there's the new Matt Damon flick out and it's said to be really mind-boggling. As long as it isn't like a _Bourne_ whatever movie, I can totally see it. Love that man. I'd have his children if he wanted me to. Did you see him in _Good __Will __Hunting?_ That was a movie he'd written a script for, did you know? Amazing. He's also this clean cut guy…"

Nora had a hard time focusing on what Zen was saying because Toby had sidled up next to her and was mimicking Zen's exaggerated motions and the way she talked and walked. Nora felt her lips turn up in a smile and at one point when Zen flipped her hair over her shoulder, Toby did the same and Nora lost it.

"Oh god, I'm—I'm sorry," she stuttered out as she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. Toby was on the other side, wiping his eyes because he had been laughing so hard.

Zen stood between them, looking confused and a little hurt. Noticing this, Nora immediately sobered up and put her arm around her friend, giving her a squeeze, "I'd love to go see the movie with you but I, uh, promised my mom I'd be back in time to help with a project she's starting today. Maybe next weekend?" The darker girl gave her a look and then nodded, her smile back in place but not quite as bright as before. Nora cringed, hoping that she'd be able to repair this once Toby was back to normal.

Giving her friend one last hug, she headed in the opposite direction of her house. Toby caught up with her and grabbed her hand, making sure to stick close to her so that it didn't look like it was randomly floating on air. "Sorry," he whispered next to her.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "S'okay. She'll understand once we're through this."

He smiled happily at her, violet eyes warm and sending a tingle from the base of her spine to her head. She shook it slightly, not wanting to faint in the middle of the street. Even though she'd had a couple of days to get used to this whole soulmate thing, the wonder of it hadn't faded at all but, as she'd spent practically all of Sunday with him, it had grown and become such an intricate part of her she was surprised no one had commented about something being different about her.

"What did you find?" she asked him.

He launched into a detailed explanation of the spell he'd found and then mentioned that they'd have to go to Merrymount to get some supplies. They'd reached his driveway by this time and were sitting on the porch stairs.

"How are we going to get there?"

He shrugged. "You can drive my aunt's car. She left it here when she flew to Vegas."

"You mean on a broomstick?" Her eyes were wide.

He grinned wickedly at her. "Yes and wearing a black pointed hat. She's actually got a large wart on her nose, too."

She pushed at his shoulder. "She does not! I've seen her in your mind."

He captured her hand and brought it to his lips before setting their joined hands in his lap. "She flew on a _plane_ to Las Vegas."

"Okay. So…I think now would be a good time to tell you that I don't drive," she said on a rush of words.

He turned to her, eyebrows raised in disbelief. She tugged her hand out of his hold and crossed her arms. "I just don't okay? Haven't gotten around to it."

He was quiet for a second. "You're afraid of driving," he said it matter-of-factly, no disdain in his tone.

She looked away before he grabbed her chin and brought her eyes to meet his, his thumb caressing her cheek gently. She smiled self-deprecatingly. "Yeah. I'm not the most adventurous girl if you have to know."

"I don't know about that, Nora. You're the bravest soul I've met." His voice was sincere. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss.

"You're sweet, you know that? Under all that 'coolness' is actually a really great guy." He blushed and grabbed her hand, standing up.

"You're going to drive to Merrymount with me because we need to get the ingredients for the spell. It's going to take about 26 hours to get the potion completely ready which will take us practically into the last day of this imitation."

Nora resisted his tug towards the car. "Um, Toby? Darling, darling Toby. Didn't you just hear what I said? I can't drive."

"Yes, Nora, my love, the goddess of my soul." Nora ignored the pitter-patter of her heart, he was using his gift with words to sway her. "I did hear you. You'll sit on my lap while _I_drive. Can't have everyone thinking that the car is driving itself."

She laughed at the ludicrous idea. "What? Really? Toby!" she exclaimed as he, tired of her resistance, had gone back to her and picked her up bodily. She couldn't even _imagine_what someone would think should they stick they look outside right now. He opened the car door easily and slid in, settling her on his lap. She sat stiffly upright. Yeah, he might be her true love and all but she wasn't used to being some sort of lap girl to anyone.

"Nora, it'll be okay. I'll just do the driving. You're small enough to fit with me here and I can still see over your shoulder. Just don't do too much wriggling." The last was said with a sort of breathlessness in his voice.

She blushed, not quite understanding what he meant, but knowing enough about boys to get the general gist and stopped moving around. Starting the car, he backed out of the driveway, telling her to put her hands on the wheel and look where he said to look, just so it would look more believable.

It wasn't until they were halfway towards Merrymount, having been on the road for about 10 minutes, did Nora relax a fraction. There really wasn't too much to it since Toby was actually doing all the work. She smiled as she thought of how it must look. She wasn't really able to sit back in her "chair" because of Toby and she was elevated a little higher than she normally would be. She tried to ignore how warm he felt and the muscles she felt shift beneath her as he applied the gas or pushed the pedal. One of his arms was around her waist, securing her to him. She felt that she had a perpetual flush throughout her whole body.

Soft warm lips startled her on the back of her neck and she jerked on the wheel accidentally. "Toby!" she admonished as he laughed and got the car straightened out once more.

"Sorry," no hint of apology in his tone, "it's just that your neck is so lovely."

"God, do you _really_ use that line on girls?" she said, mainly to diffuse the very highly-charged atmosphere.

"No, just with you," he said simply and once more, revved up that link between them. She smiled and turned her head a little to look at him. His eyes twinkled back at her. "You know I love you, right?" No hesitation was in his voice.

She felt her heart swell and a warmth pool in her middle. She wasn't sure if that was just her or whatever was flowing on that glowing cord between them. "Yes. I love you, too." She gasped as she felt the rush of pleasure from him at her words. He tightened his arm around her and she faced forward again, relaxing against him as they continued on their way to Merrymount.

**Author's Note: **

**Aha! I am back! I have one more chapter and we are finito! Yay! Tell me what you think oh loyal readers to this story! I'm sorry I've taken so long and in looking back at this and where I first started I can see that my writing has definitely changed. Still trying to keep it light, but I've become a sort of dramatic writer so I apologize if that leaked through here! :)**

**Char**


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